Prorated rent is a partial rent payment that covers only the days you actually occupy a rental property, rather than paying for a full month. You'll encounter this calculation when you move in or out on a day other than the first or last day of the month.
When is rent prorated?
Rent is typically prorated in these common situations:
- When you move in partway through a month
- When you move out before the end of a month
- During a leap year (February has 29 days instead of 28)
- When a landlord needs to adjust rent for other reasons (repairs, temporary uninhabitability, etc.)
How to calculate prorated rent
The basic formula for prorating rent is:
Prorated Rent=Monthly Rent×Total Days in MonthNumber of Days Occupied
Let's break this down with a practical example:
Imagine your monthly rent is $1,500, and you're moving in on January 20th. Since January has 31 days, and you'll occupy the unit for 12 days (from January 20-31), your calculation would be:
Prorated Rent=$1,500×3112=$580.65
Different methods for prorating rent
Landlords typically use one of these methods to calculate prorated rent:
1. Days in month method
This is the method shown above, where the calculation is based on the actual number of days in the specific month.
2. 30-day month method
Some landlords simplify by assuming all months have 30 days:
Prorated Rent=Monthly Rent×30Number of Days Occupied
3. Days in year method
Less common, but some landlords calculate based on a daily rate:
Daily Rate=365Annual Rent
Prorated Rent=Daily Rate×Number of Days Occupied
Things to check in your lease
If you're dealing with prorated rent, make sure to:
- Review your lease for specific prorating methods
- Confirm the exact move-in/move-out dates in writing
- Ask for a detailed breakdown of how your prorated amount was calculated
- Check if utilities are also prorated or handled differently
Requesting prorated rent
If your lease doesn't mention prorating, but you're moving in mid-month, you can still request it. Most landlords recognize this as standard practice. Simply ask:
"Since I'm moving in on the 15th, could we prorate the rent for this first month to reflect only the days I'll be occupying the unit?"
Have you dealt with prorated rent before? Understanding this concept helps ensure you're only paying for the time you actually live in a rental property.